New veterinary hospital in Garden City wins at least $1 million in tax breaks despite objections from trade group

A teaching hospital for aspiring veterinarians has won at least $1 million in tax breaks from Nassau County despite an attempt by a professional group to tie the aid to the number of local students enrolled in Long Island University’s veterinary school.

The county’s Industrial Development Agency voted unanimously at its May 28 meeting to grant the tax incentives to Dr. Dominic Marino and the 30,100-square-foot hospital he proposes to build on Stewart Avenue in Garden City.

Marino has said the private hospital would allow students from LIU’s Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine, where he teaches, and other academic programs to gain clinical experience close to home instead of having to travel to institutions upstate and in New Jersey.

Long Island had 1,076 licensed veterinarians as of January, based on data from the state Department of Education. Ensuring there's an adequate number of veterinarians in the future was one of the reasons that led LIU to launch Lewyt College in 2020 and open a $26 million college building three years later with $13 million in state funding, LIU officials said in 2023.

The awarding of tax breaks to the Garden City hospital followed a request from a trade group, Long Island Veterinary Medical Association, that they be linked to the number of Long Islanders pursuing degrees in veterinary medicine at LIU. The association said local students should make up between 30% and 40% of each future class.

LIU enrollment data shows each veterinary class has about 100 total members.

Dr. Richard Selkowitz, a board member of the trade group, said the association is concerned about having enough doctors to care for pets in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the future. During a May 26 public hearing, he said LIU graduates often return to their home states to practice medicine.

“When the college admits students from Long Island, whose family and community are already here, they have a reason to stay,” said Selkowitz, who owns the East Rockaway Veterinary Hospital.

He added that about a dozen LIU students have received training at his hospital, and all have told him they don’t plan to remain here.

Selkowitz said the association expressed its concerns to LIU leaders at a March meeting and was told no preference is given to Long Island applicants because New York State turned down a proposal to set aside seats in each class with reduced tuition in return for state funding.

The association's request to the IDA wasn’t included in the final tax-aid deal, according to the approving resolution.

“The project was approved on the intrinsic merits of the application after taking into account all the public comments received,” Sheldon Shrenkel, the IDA's CEO and executive director, told Newsday last week.

Marino, through his attorney John Chillemi, endorsed increasing the number of Long Islanders pursuing veterinary degrees at LIU.

But “neither this project nor Dr. Marino has any role in, or influence over, the veterinary college’s admissions policies or enrollment practices. … The veterinary college is not a party to the IDA transaction,” the attorney said.

LIU spokesperson Mark Smith confirmed Lewyt College isn’t involved in the development of the $34.5 million hospital.

Smith also said the college, one of only four of its kind in the Northeast, “enrolls students through a competitive national admissions process. Typically, 20% to 30% of our students are Long Island-based or from the New York City metropolitan area."

The new hospital’s tax breaks consist of a sales-tax exemption of up to $885,856 on the purchase of construction materials, equipment and furnishings; a mortgage-recording tax exemption of up to $75,000; and property tax savings over 17 years.

The hospital would treat about 20,000 animals per year, with half coming from outside Nassau for specialized brain, spine and joint replacement surgeries. There would be 65 employees, with 30 holding professional positions that pay on average between $70,000 and $400,000 per year, according to the application for IDA assistance.

Besides training future doctors, the hospital would instruct people who handle and care for dogs involved in police and military activities, said Marino, who also is an Army Reserve major in veterinary services.

Construction has begun on the hospital and is expected to be completed within one year, the application states.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.